Clothes-line reel.



HLL E REINHART L E. G LESHER.

CLOTHES LINE REEL. AP'LIGATION FILED M1118. 1909.

Patented June 21, 1910..

UNTTED sTATis PATENT OFFICE.

HISTER H. REINHAR'l.` AND IRVIN BEINHART, MOSELEM, AND EMANUEL G.

. LESHER, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLOTHES-LINE REEL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 1111 21, 191 0,

Appnation inea January 2s, 1909. .serial No. 474,842.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat we, HE'ISTER ll. REIN- Imn'r and IRVIN RETNHART, both residents of Moselem, .Berks county, Pennsylvania, and EMANUEL G: LESHER, resident of Reading, Berks county, Pennsylvania, all citizens of the United States, have `invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes- Line Reels, of which the following is a spcci.

ication. l 1

Our invention relates to clothes line reels of the class in which the winding drum is actuated b a coiled spring to automatioally wind t ie rope thereon, and our object is to provide a neat and lcompact structure in which a large. amount 'of line may be stored and freel withdrawn therefrom, the rewinding -t ereof being uickly and automat'- ically accomplished andI -the rope being laid in accurate and tight coils upon the drum, all as fully described in the accompanyinof specification, the novel features being speci ically set forth .-in the subjoined claims.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a clothes line reel embodying our invention, parts of the inclosing. casing, winding. drum and spring casing being broken. away to more clearly indicate the construction thereof. Fig. 2 is a section substantially on the line As shown in the drawings l'is an inclos-4 ing casingliaving a lid 2 secured thereto by clamping bolts 3,- the whole bein mounted on brackets 4. 5 is an axle centra lcy located in said inclosing casing and locke against turning by set screws 6 holding the casing the end of the rope being secured to the.

drum in anyiconvenient manner, as by a clamp 11. Operatively connected to the drum 7 is apinion 13' loosely mounted on axle '5 and rotatively engaged with lthe end-hub 15 ofthe winding drum as shown.

.Within the winding drum 7 is a spring'casing 16, inclosing a spring 17, one end of which is fixed to said casing as shown by 55. post 47, and the other end tothe fixed axle internally toothed wheel 20, saidwheel being preferably connected. to said casing by means of projections 2l-engaging beveled openings 22 therefor on the Outer Surface of the spring casing so as to operatively connect them as shown.

An idler gear 23 is mounted on an arm 24. which latter is held in engagement-with the rigid anlesleevc 18, as indicated, by coacting projjectl'ons 25 on the annular meeting faces; and said idler gear, meshes with the internally toothed wheel 20 and pinion 13 and4 serves to operatively connect them.

A ratchet wheel 26 is formed on the hub l5 of winding drum 7 and a pawl 27,

-pivoted to the inclosing casing is operated by a han.dle 28 projecting' through a slotted openingin saidlid to engage or disengage said ratchet. And inllthe lid 2 of the casing- 1 is also mounted a crank pinion' 29, the crank stem 30 of which rojectsI through said lid and may be turned y crank 31, said pinion meshing with a gear 32 secured to the hub 15 of' winding di'um 7 as shown.

The free endofthe rope 10 passes from the drum 7 through an opening 33 in the inclosing casing .l as shown between guide rollers 31.34 therefor, said rollers being mounted oii posts 35 fixed in said opening and free to slide across the width of the winding dru1n.` And an additional guide roller 36 wit-hin the inclosin'g casing 1 is slidably mounted as shown. on a spring pressed rod 37. pivoted at 38, and'normally presses the rope 10 against the windin drum 7 as shown, a recess 39 being provide in the casing 1 into which the roller 36 enters when the winding drum 7 is 'filled to its full capacity. p

The operation of .-our improved clothes line reel will be readily understood in connection with the foregoing description. 'Ve havefound it desirable in lpracticetohave the spring under slight winding tension even when the ropeis fully wound upon the reel,

.and to this endthe rope 10. is wound upon 'drum 7 and the spring-17 ivef'i proper ten- -sion either by turning cran 31 or else wmding the rope upon the drum when the spring is partly under tension. When the rope is Withdrawn from the reel by drawing same from drum 7 through'guide pulleys 34, the

pinion 13 is driven with the turning drum and turns the spring casing 16 through idler 23V and gear 20 on said casing to Wind up the spring, the pawl 27 being moved'to engage ratctliet 26 and hold the drum against rewinding when enough rope is withdrawn. To rewind the rope upon the drum, the pawl 27 is released from engagement with ratchet wheel 26 when vthe s ring 17 unwinding drives the freed drum 'Fthrough the train ofy gears 20-2313, the rope passing between the guide rollers 34 which slide u on rods 35 so as to Wind the rope in even coi s upon the drum, and roller 36 pressing against the' coil just winding on the drum tightly lays it 'ineven rows upon the drum bet,ween .,the annular anges 12. To lock the paw-l in .engagement with the ratchet a latch 40 may be em ployed as shown. l TheA crank 31 is provided onlgf for emergencies and to place'spring 17 un er proper tension, the winding being automatica ly done by the coiled spring.

The device `is neat and convenient and carefullyl preserves the clothes line in convenient and .ready position for immediate use.. l

What we claim is :f y l. In a clothes line reel the -combination `With'an inclosing casing having an openin therein, and a Winding drumwithin s ai casing', of a spring pressed rod bearing against said drum and a guide roller slidably vmounted on said rod.

2. In a clothes line reel the combination with a Winding drumhaving an inclosing casing therefor, of an opening in said casing, posts mounted in said opemn and havin guide rollers slidahly mounte thereon an adapted to ride across the width of the-drum, and an additional guide4 roller within said casing spring pressed against the drum and slidable across the width of the same,

3. In a clothes line reel, an inclosing ca sing secured u on brackets, anV axle fixed thereto, a win ing drum within said casing mounted on'said axle and carrying a pinion, a sprin casing within said drum having an interna 1y toothed gear Wheel thereon an idler gear meshmg with said pinion an internally toothed gear carried by an arm fixed to said axle, a spring Within said spring casinghone end being secured to the same and the ot er end to the fixed axle, substantially as set lforth. l

In testimony whereof, we aiiix our signa-' tures, inthe presence of two witnesses.

l, HEIS'IERH. ,REINHART IRWINv IREINILiR'l". EMANUEL G. LESHER.

Witnesses:

D. M. STEWART, C. WARREN Gaul.. 

